Ultimately, this is about quality of life and attractive, competitive communities for residents of D.C. and the region, enhanced by having alternatives to hours spent driving and sitting in traffic and reducing the air pollution harming us — life and work enhanced by a green, sustainable and people-oriented downtown.
Category: News
CSG Statement on the importance of the K Street Transitway
Response to Proposed DC Transportation FY 24 Budget
We recognize the budget challenges facing DC but are concerned about the proposed changes to DC’s transit priorities including the proposal to cut some routes and for indefinitely delaying the K Street Transitway.
The K Street Transitway is a leading bus priority project in DC that promises to serve an estimated 40,000 daily riders on more than 11 bus lines. It will likely accommodate additional downtown routes once operational. This downtown transitway will provide greater reliability to a large share of DC’s bus riders.
At a moment when budgets are tight, we need to ensure we are sustaining existing service, and making it work better. Maintaining service, giving priority to buses on city streets, and ensuring the city has the funds to address WMATA’s fiscal cliff for operating funds in FY25 are core tasks for the District.
A reasonable pause, but not indefinite delay of the K Street Transitway is merited because the design of the transitway has strayed from its original “Great Streets” approach. We are dismayed that bike lanes were recently cut from the plans, and that the tree canopy and streetscape are being treated like an afterthought. The competitiveness of downtown depends on having green, pedestrian, bicycle and transit-friendly streets, great pocket parks and other people-oriented amenities. The pause should be used to return the K Street Transitway to its early urban design approach, which will be important for downtown revitalization.
RELEASE: Groups weigh in on Fairfax Board of Supervisors races
With Fairfax County facing significant transportation, affordable housing, and environmental challenges, a diverse network of sixteen (16) local and regional conservation, smart growth, bike/ped, housing, and social equity groups released a platform for candidates for the Board of Supervisors.
Titled A Vision for an Environmentally Sustainable Fairfax County: Inclusive, Walkable, Transit-Friendly Communities, the groups have sent the platform to all Board candidates in Fairfax County for whom contact information could be found.
CSG in the News: Is West Virginia ready for Silver Line growth?
“It comes down to whether we can have better planning in Jefferson County,” Schwartz said. “You should grow within your small town and gracefully expand those towns with greener streets and [greater] walkability.”
CSG in the News: Loudoun County Breaks Ground On A New “Missing Link” Road
Schwartz says officials appear to be building an outer beltway link by link rather than drawing attention to it by calling it an outer beltway. “They’ve condemned Northern Virginia into a ceaseless cycle of road building. It is not enhancing the quality of life.”
CSG in the News: Billions Have Been Spent Trying to Solve NoVA’s Traffic Problem — Is it Enough?
While we’re seeing some progress, CSG’s Schwartz says federal and state funding programs still have a strong bias toward road expansion over transit spending.
RELEASE: TransAction Vote
Tonight, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) will vote on a proposed $75 billion transportation plan for the region. The “TransAction” plan provides a laundry list of projects through the year 2045 from which the agency can pick and choose for funding decisions.
New UN climate report points to compact cities, moving people not just electric cars, to cut emissions
This week, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres stated starkly “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.” The agency’s Emissions Gap Report 2022: The Closing Window is an alarming read, finding that the adopted policies of all the world’s nations would lead to global warming of 2.8°C over this century – an apocalyptic outcome.
LTE: Opinion: NVTA regional transportation plan unaffordable and ineffective
Prior to midnight Monday, September 19 comment deadline, twelve non-profit organizations submitted a joint letter urging the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to reject its proposed $76 Billion TransAction 2045 long-range transportation plan.
CSG in the News: Prince George’s council pulls ‘Machiavellian’ zoning bill after uproar
September 16, 2022 | Washington Post | Daniel Wu
“The inclusion of CB-91 with those bills was “an extra Machiavellian move,” Cheryl Cort, policy director for the nonprofit Coalition for Smarter Growth, wrote to The Washington Post. Had they all passed, CB-91′s supermajority requirement would have solidified the outgoing county council’s final zoning amendments, passed under a lower burden.”